[unreadable] The New York Academy of Sciences is planning a two day conference entitled "Animal Models for Type 1 Diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis" to take place November 8 and 9, 2006 in San Francisco, CA. The organizers of this conference are Drs. Matthias von Herrath (LaJolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology), David Hafler (Harvard University), Mark Atkinson (University of Florida, Gainesville) and Bart Roep (Leiden University, The Netherlands). Animal models have been used to understand the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and guide us towards novel immune-based interventions. Despite their popularity in research, their ability to provide simple answers to the complex issues of the causes of and means for the prevention of autoimmune disorders has been somewhat limited. The purpose of this conference is to bring together leaders in the fields of type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis to discuss and debate crucial questions regarding the proper use of animal models for studies of human disease. Central themes for this conference will include the necessity for novel and improved models, the optimal use of information from animal models to understand pathogenesis of the human disease, and the rational development of novel immunotherapeutics. The goal of this meeting is to identify common standardized grounds for the optimal application of established and novel animal models for both basic discovery and therapeutic translation. Lessons learned from two autoimmune diseases will cross fertilize the discourse. We anticipate that the audience for this conference will encompass researchers working in basic science, pre-clinical science, translational medicine and clinical medicine in both academia and industry. Additionally, we expect that this symposium will be of interest to junior faculty working in the areas of autoimmune disease research, as well as patient advocacy groups. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]